User Reviewshttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/default.aspxUser reviews for Tomb Raideren-USTelligent Community 1.5.134.12297 (Build: 5.5.134.12297)Breathtaking http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2015/07/15/breathtaking.aspxWed, 15 Jul 2015 21:09:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:7570020Timothy Repasky0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=7570020http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2015/07/15/breathtaking.aspx#comments<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/2620.Tomb_5F00_Raider_5F00_2013_5F00_screenshot.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>I remember playing the original Tomb Raider on PlayStation back in the late 90&#39;s and being completely fascinated by it. &nbsp;The exploration and sense of discovery was something very new to me at that young age as I had never played anything quite like it. &nbsp;Adventuring through long-forgotten ruins and discovering their treasures was wondrous and killing a hulking bear for the first time is still something that I can fondly recall from those early gaming experiences. &nbsp;The next few sequels in the franchise improved upon everything that first game had to offer before taking some serious missteps and tarnishing the brand for many years to come. &nbsp;I admittedly fell off during this time and usually never bothered when a new game was released. &nbsp;Finally with this 2013 reboot simply called Tomb Raider I can say that she is back on course.</p>
<p>That sense of wonder and discovery that I had playing those early games returns with this reboot, but with the technological advancements and hardware capabilities of the Xbox 360 everything is done to new standards. &nbsp;The game is gorgeous and filled with more setpieces than a Call of Duty title. &nbsp;Production values are through the roof and the tech used is impressive. &nbsp;The score is also phenomenal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The story starts off with a younger Lara Croft before she has gone on all of those famous adventures. &nbsp;Lara and her crew are traveling by ship to discover the location and secrets of a lost kingdom when a horrific storm leaves them stranded on a mysterious island. &nbsp;The company soon gets more than they bargained for when they are ambushed by cultists who inhabit the island. &nbsp;From here Lara must rescue her friends and discover the secrets of the island in order to make it back home. &nbsp;</p>
<p>The mystery surrounding the island and its inhabitants is compelling and the story is filled with well-developed characters and top notch voice acting. &nbsp;Some of the character arcs are intriguing and by the end I actually found myself caring about those who are closest to Lara. &nbsp;As for Lara herself, the new take on her character is done extremely well. &nbsp;She&#39;s young and new to all of this stuff and she goes through many ordeals throughout the game that force her to overcome extreme odds and cause her to grow. &nbsp;At the beginning of the game she is full of doubt. &nbsp;She is striving to live in her father&#39;s footsteps and she doesn&#39;t feel worthy of the Croft name. &nbsp;She&#39;s also humanized in interesting ways. &nbsp;The first time she has to kill someone it takes a real toll on her. &nbsp;This is something that games don&#39;t address enough but is executed perfectly here. &nbsp;Other themes like loss and sacrifice are also addressed in smart ways. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Even though that first kill really affects Lara, in no time she is taking on large numbers of gunmen with ease. &nbsp;This is probably my biggest complaint about the game and something that purists aren&#39;t going to like. &nbsp;The old games saw Lara less focused on fighting enemies and more driven to simply get through the levels and reach her goal. &nbsp;If she had to shoot some bad guys that got in her way then she would but that was never the focus. &nbsp;This reboot has a much greater focus on firefights and the only way to proceed is to eliminate all opposition. &nbsp;This isn&#39;t what a Tomb Raider game is supposed to be about, especially one that otherwise does so well at establishing that this is a younger and more novice Lara. &nbsp;Thankfully the pacing is brilliant, with there being many other gameplay styles focused on throughout. &nbsp;I also understand that this is a big part of what the gaming landscape is today and the developers wanted to stay relevant and appeal to a wider audience. &nbsp;People love shooters and Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises in the world. &nbsp;Overall I feel they found a pretty nice balance but it is still a little disheartening to see happen in a Tomb Raider game. &nbsp;Stealth is there for those who want it and pulling off silent headshots with the bow is incredibly rewarding.</p>
<p>The combat and shooting feel great however. &nbsp;It&#39;s third-person action done well with very light cover mechanics. &nbsp;The weapons feel good to both aim and shoot and even the close quarter stuff is solid. &nbsp;Lara can loot her fallen enemies for resources that allow her to further upgrade her gear and help even the odds as her enemies get stronger too.</p>
<p>Loot is also scattered throughout the environments, giving you good reason to seek out hidden chests so you can always advance your skills and deepen the gameplay even further. &nbsp;Besides just having those incentives, I actually wanted to explore as much as I could in any given area because the world is extremely realized and detailed. &nbsp;The island is not one open world but instead cut up into sections that you can fast travel between after discovering each one and saving at a campfire. &nbsp;The game is pretty linear but many areas are open and expansive. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Quick Time Events are used throughout the game but in smart ways. &nbsp;There is a set of rules to using them and once you understand how an action works and is associated with its QTE then there is no confusion going forward. &nbsp;For example, when you see a certain rock texture you know you can use your pick axe to climb it. &nbsp;You also know that to do this you have to tap the x button. &nbsp;So no matter if you are climbing from the bottom of the rock or if you are leaping from a platform you know you have to tap x to attach yourself. &nbsp;Another example is using the y button to attack an enemy. &nbsp;No matter if it is during a QTE or just in normal combat the button never changes. &nbsp;I feel like the QTE implementation is done smartly in this game once you understand their rules they actually become an enjoyable part of the experience instead of a frustration. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Platforming was a big part of the old games. &nbsp;Where before it required a lot of skill, now it&#39;s more about smart QTE usage. &nbsp;This is a little disappointing too but what is there still feels good. &nbsp;Rarely do things feel unfair but it would have been nice for a more skilled approach. &nbsp;The old games required a trial and error approach when it came to certain complex platforming segments. &nbsp;Some of the trial and error stuff still happens in this reboot, only in more setpiece moments. &nbsp;The death animations are extremely brutal and intense to watch but thankfully the checkpoint system is very generous and forgiving. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p>Something that will make long time fans happy are the tombs. &nbsp;These are hidden throughout the game and require puzzle solving to get through. &nbsp;While these are great, it would have been nice to implement more of these ideas throughout the game instead of segmenting them to these optional areas. &nbsp;There are some puzzles on the main path but they are few and far between. &nbsp;</p>
<p>I had a blast playing through this reboot. &nbsp;I was constantly compelled to keep moving forward, whether that was because of the story or the excellently crafted gameplay sequences. &nbsp;There is also a good amount of side content and plenty of reason to go back once you finish the game and find everything you missed. &nbsp;The amount of scope and ambition the developers had for this game is impressive and they succeeded with almost all of it. &nbsp;Old school Tomb Raider fans will probably have a few qualms with certain decisions made like the new focus on shooting and the more sidelined approach to puzzles but there is still enough here for them to get into. &nbsp;It&#39;s a memorable and exciting experience from beginning to end and stands as one of my favorite from this generation of gaming. &nbsp;The ending is satisfying and sets up a sequel real well. &nbsp;This reboot is what the franchise has needed for years and it&#39;s nice to see it back on track. &nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=7570020" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360Tomb Raiderreboottomb raider 2013Dragged down by its story and charactershttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/08/15/dragged-down-by-its-story-and-characters.aspxFri, 15 Aug 2014 21:11:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6948268Gamemaniac34340http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6948268http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/08/15/dragged-down-by-its-story-and-characters.aspx#comments<p>Let me give you some friendlly advice:as someone who has a Nvidia graphics card the bugs are unforgivable and still very much present. That this issue hasnt been fixed since I last heard about it a while ago way before buying this game is awful and I would reccomend thinking hard because this game is not in a finished state and its embarassing.<br /><br />And now I can tell you what I thought of the game. I beat it a while back, and my opinion has not sweetened on it. Its a graphically pretty game, and without the bugs it looks quite good. The gameplay is good, and that shotgun......I am a man who loves me some shotgun, and this is one of my favorites in gaming, so it has that going for it.&nbsp;<br /><br />Unfortunately thats all the praise I can offer for this poor game. Not meh, not bad, but poor. The story seems alright at first glance, but its so predictable whats going to happen next that theres no suspense. The villians are just a-holes, and though it characterizes some of them the rest are just evil, pure and simple and you mow them down regardless. I won&#39;t bring up ludonarritive dissonance for the killing, becasue its a game, and while staggering the murder out would&#39;ve worked better, whatever its a game. The tombs are nice attempts at puzzling to get gear, hilarious as it is to find shotgun pieces in an ancient chest, but most of them are easy and require little effort to figure out. The story goes on and gets less and less interesting as the game goes on, with stupid things intertwined, like lara not putting on a jacket despite constantly moving through cold areas, the creepy sexualizaiton of her as a character-and thats as opposed to the normal kind-and parts where characters die for no good reason, like a man who dies TO GET A SCREWDRIVER AND A WRENCH. Maybe thats a spoiler of sorts, but its so obvious I don&#39;t feel bad for doing so. The writing is poor, the characters are uninteresting, and that this game got such high accolades despite being a worse uncharted 2 (we don&#39;t talke about 3) is a little discomforting. Even for five dollars, this game wasted my time, and as I find that 10 hours could&#39;ve been spent on something acutally good, like Fallout 3, I would say avoid. Its not terrible, its just not good or even decent. And you should spend money on something you think will be good.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6948268" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3unchartedtomb raider 2013Uncharted 3Uncharted 2Redactedhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/03/12/a-poor-man-39-s-platformer.aspxWed, 12 Mar 2014 12:09:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6687160Codyeo0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6687160http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/03/12/a-poor-man-39-s-platformer.aspx#comments<p>Redacted</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6687160" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3Though Tomb Raider rides on the coattails of Uncharted, it does enough to stand out and become one extraordinary adventurehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/02/17/though-tomb-raider-rides-on-the-coattails-of-uncharted-it-does-enough-to-stand-out-and-become-one-extraordinary-adventure.aspxTue, 18 Feb 2014 04:30:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:6591404TonberryKing1280http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=6591404http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/02/17/though-tomb-raider-rides-on-the-coattails-of-uncharted-it-does-enough-to-stand-out-and-become-one-extraordinary-adventure.aspx#comments<p>Ok I was never a big fan of the old Tomb Raider games. I felt that Lara croft was a egotistical rich girl that had way to much time on her hands. Not to mention the controls of the old playstation titles were clunky as heck. Square Enix buying out Eidos was the best thing to happen to Tomb Raider. I don&#39;t know how much feedback Square gave, but maybe they made Crystal Dynamics pull there heads out of the butts and realize what they needed to do to make a hit game. One major change I like is its added effect of realism, not only does it play key points in the story, but it develops Lara as a character and drops the idea of an egotistical jerk she really was. I don&#39;t need to tell you that the goal was to tell how Lara became the hardened survivor she is today. That look of realism stepped away from cartoony look and focused more on Lara as a character rather than her sex appeal, I think that is where the past games had started to go wrong. </p>
<p>The story focuses around Lara and her crew on an expedition to find the lost city of Yamatai. They float into the eye of the storm know as Dragon&#39;s Triangle off the coast of Japan and end stranded. They are separated and quickly shows why it is the first entry to stand out as being mature. Lara is impaled in the side, as she falls from a rope which she is suspended upside down. She presses forward out of the cave looking for food and shelter, as she stumbles across a bow left behind by a hunter or somebody elses stranded on the island. She makes her first kill for some food. the Bow and Arrow is probably your most effective weapon in the game in my opinion. Though it is true like Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones Lara always seems to have a knack for finding trouble. Lara&#39;s change is quite visible in the game it is astonishing to see her change into a terrified girl into a hardened survivor. How when she first killed somebody it bothered her but how quickly she came to the point where it did not bother her. Though this is an origin story of how she became a survivor, its stories of artifacts and myths are certainly not left out. In fact that is one of the games strongest points. It takes a more supernatural spin rather that Uncharted&#39;s scientific explanation, that makes it stand out very strong, while there is this game centered on realism it also delves into the facts that somethings just cannot be explained natural phenomenons that occur for supernatural reasons. </p>
<p>Though Tomb Raider is very much your third person action game it interests me how it takes a more survival feel to it, almost much like that of Metal Gear Solid 3. Its gameplay copycats from others in its genre but it does enough to make it feel unique and original. You upgrade your equipment, use various tools to accomplish certain tasks. it requires that you backtrack to unlock certain thinks. the game is defininetly more action packed but it hasn&#39;t abandoned its puzzle roots those come in optional tombs, so it stays true to its roots. It has treasures to be found GPS spots, documents and letters left behind by people who have traveled to the ocean over the years. It is quite an incredible game.</p>
<p>Many series could take to heart a lesson that Tomb Raider as done. Sometimes you just have to abandon your roots, and create something new. Crystal Dynamics has proven how to do that and its something many other developers really need to think about. Tomb Raider resides as one of the best last games to come out on the PS3.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6591404" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3tomb raider 2013Tomb Raider review: This adventuer is back on the maphttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/09/06/tomb-raider-review-this-adventuer-is-back-on-the-map.aspxFri, 06 Sep 2013 23:13:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:4285077Juanolo0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=4285077http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/09/06/tomb-raider-review-this-adventuer-is-back-on-the-map.aspx#comments<p><img height="330" width="520" src="http://anonofholland.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/t22.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; Back in the mid 90s, who did we think of when you heard adventuer, othen then Indiana Jones? That&#39;s right Lara Croft. Depending on your opinion of the series, Tomb Raider series has been successful. While they might not be epic or masterpieces, they were still pretty fun, and a closer step for us to feel like adventuers. Then, they fanished. Tomb Raider left, and Uncharted came in. Uncharted was the new stable of action/adventure games. Blew about everything Lara croft did out of the water. So you can expect there would be pressure on Crystal Dynamics part in rebooting a Tomb Raider series to make it good. I myself have never played a Tomb Raider before, but with this being my first, felt like a piece of fresh air. This is a great start to a hopefully successful rebooted series.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="307" width="516" src="http://www.gamezilla.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tomb-Raider-2013-00.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;The story starts you out playing as Lara Croft as you and your crew searching for the lost kingdom of Yamatai. After a horrific storm at sea, your ship crashes, and you are stranded on a island. As you&#39;re on the island, you must find your crew, radio in help, survive attacks from the Solarii Brotherhood, and uncover the secrets behind the island and the lost kingdom of Yamatai.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;<img height="310" width="529" src="http://www.one-quest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tomb-raider-2013-screenshot8.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;The game looks great. Whether the it&#39;s the surrounding, gameplay, or cutscene, this looks great.&nbsp; As this being a more dark, gritty adventuer, the game&nbsp;it can be violent. You think I&#39;m kidding, I am not. The game does looks great, but tells a Dark story that does contain alot of violence. Still don&#39;t believe me? Swimming in a complete pool of blood while bodies are all around are one of the high moments in the game.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="329" width="502" src="http://mygaming.co.za/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tomb-Raider-2013-review-screenshot-1.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;Let&#39;s talk about that story shall we? The story was dealt with such expertise. Like I&#39;ve said, the game is intense, dark, and gritty, but even after that, this is an actionpacked game. Sure it can be kind of predictable at some times like action/adventure games can be, but this game is just nonstop action. Go from action to violence so much, and I love it. Fans of the series should not be disappointed at all. I will say, the story kind of reminded me alot of Far cry 3. Not saying Tomb Raider is a ripoff, but there stories are alot alike. The protagnist goes to a island where they get kidnapped, starts out wimpy, must survive, save rescue their friends, and escape the island. Sounds alittle familiar, bot both are great.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="346" width="519" src="http://www.futuregamingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/tomb-raider-2013-screenshot9.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;The story mode on easy for me was a good 9 1/2 hours, but could probably range from 9-12 hours. Plus after the campaign, there&#39;s a whole island to explore, and collectables, and tombs. I would like to have more tombs, but overall they were a blast. Plus, you get to upgrade you weapons. From useful weapons to extreme awesome weapons. Controls seen to be fine. The game runs smoothly, though I&#39;ve might&#39;ve had a problem here and there. Finally there&#39;s the score and voice acting. The sound throughout the game was great. The music number were intense for the intense part, and actiony for the action part. Got me pumped. The voice acting was great. Camilla Luddington did a great job as Lara Croft, and everyone else was as equally great. They turned ok characters into characters we cared about. A pretty good supporting crew. No, comes probably Tomb Raiders biggest problem: Multiplayer.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="305" width="528" src="http://gamerfitnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tomb-raider-multiplayer-video.png" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;Lately, it seems games have been trying to be complete for everyone by adding multiplayer. Is this a good idea? NO. One of the best worst examples is Spec ops: The line. Probably next on that list is Tomb Raider. I give Crystal Dynamics a hand for trying, but man oh man stay away. The modes are mostly the same as any other shooter multiplayer but really is done properly at all. The graphics seem to slim down some, the controls feel werid, it&#39;s just a complete mess. Tomb Raider is just one of those games that should stay away from multiplayer.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="314" width="522" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zr2S-xJnv2w/UWsfCpLO7JI/AAAAAAAAAMY/xSHnC7oacko/s640/tomb-raider-review.jpg" id="il_fi" style="padding-bottom:8px;padding-right:8px;padding-top:8px;" alt="" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;Overall, Crystal Dynamics exceeded expectations for me on this game. Most say, give Uncharted a run for their moeny. This will be a neat little compettition coming up. Serious though, fans of the series or not, should play this game. If you love action, this is for you. This was such a great release, that ultiamately a purchase worth $60 for sure. That&#39;s why I would give Tomb Raider a </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:small;"><strong><span style="font-size:xx-large;">9.5 out of 10</span></strong></span></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4285077" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3Tomb Raider Gamehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/09/06/tomb-raider-game.aspxFri, 06 Sep 2013 05:55:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:4267798Captain America0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=4267798http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/09/06/tomb-raider-game.aspx#comments<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/1665.images.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">So Tomb Raider was my first time a tomb raider game.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">When I was playing it I like it was great very fun game the bow was awesome it made me forget&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Those pistols that you get at the end of the game.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Did not see any bugs I think.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Over all very good made game look great and play great.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4267798" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3tomb raider 2013REVIEW: Tomb Raider 2013 (360)http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/08/02/review-tomb-raider-2013-360.aspxFri, 02 Aug 2013 22:50:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3632971Gimmick3http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3632971http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/08/02/review-tomb-raider-2013-360.aspx#comments<p align="LEFT">Take it from somebody who
has never taken Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider series seriously. Say
what you will about Lara Croft, the character has never appealed to
me personally and I found her games to be clunky platformers with too
simplistic puzzles and sloppy combat and her adventures to be trite
ripoffs of the adventures of her iconic film counterpart. Lara
herself came off to me as a shallow, ridiculous exaggeration that
didn&#39;t set herself apart from her male counterparts in terms of
sophistication. Just because she had ***, and boy did she have ***,
does not mean she was video games shining example of a female
protagonist to me. She was just another shallow superficial video
game action hero that had none of the character depth or nuance that
makes fictional characters seem so human.</p>
<p align="LEFT">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="LEFT">I didn&#39;t even pay close
attention to the hype leading up to Tomb Raider&#39;s release, even
though the sad circumstantial controversy surrounding it did not
escape my attention. But notice it I did and I played it regardless
hoping that Crystal Dynamics efforts to recreate a more human Croft
in a more dramatic adventure would be a success. And it is a
resounding success. Gone are all the ridiculous aspects of Lady Croft
and the elements of the series that stood as an embarrassment to
video game entertainment and the portrayal of women in interactive
fiction. Everything from Lara&#39;s infamously ridiculous cup size and
proportions to her shallow borderline psychotic action-hero persona
has been tossed out the door while retaining all of Lara&#39;s lauded
fierce independence and superior athleticism and drive to survive
against hostile forces and against all odds that made her such a
spectacular action-adventure hero. Here we have a much more modest,
vulnerable and lovable Lara who is just as much the determined and
stone cold killer as her predecessor. Lara fights hard in her
adventure and accumulates the scars, both physical and emotional, to
prove it. And yet she endures. While saving lives may have been
incidental to her pursuit of yet another shiny trinket to grace her
elaborate mantlepiece back at Croft Manor before, now Lara&#39;s main
objective is safeguarding the lives of those she feels responsible
for and her passionate hunt for historical artifacts is now more
academically motivated rather than superficial. Lara is now human,
with real human vulnerabilities and real human spirit.</p>
<p align="LEFT">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="LEFT">Lara&#39;s adventure sees her
expedition shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Japan and face
to face with a cult of psychotic mad men desperate to escape the
supernatural forces that won&#39;t let anyone leave the island alive.
Players guide Lara along a breathtaking cinematic adventure with
stunning visuals and top-notch production values and some of the most
spectacular and elaborate action set pieces in a video game.
Comparisons to the Uncharted series notwithstanding, although the
features Tomb Raider borrows from that series are for better or for
worse, except the quick-time events which are the work of evil in any
case. Outstanding cinematography showcases breathtaking vistas and
stunning action sequences to remarkable effect. Even the interface is
elegant and non-intrusive in its presentation. The immersion level is
high in this adventure, so cozy up and let yourself get sucked right
on in. The island is full of varied environments seeped in layers of
history both ancient and modern. The effect is a remarkably surreal
and unsettling presentation that showcases the islands violent past,
and the graphics rival the best to be seen on current gen systems.
Animations are fluid and nuanced and there is heavy polygonal and
textural detail in the environments and character models.</p>
<p align="LEFT">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="LEFT">The narrative is rounded out
by an effective cast of supporting characters. Cultural cliches
notwithstanding the presentation and portrayal of Lara&#39;s friends is
top notch and engaging and helps to cement a deep chemistry with
their plight. Lara&#39;s antagonist is particularly poignant as a man as
violent and as desperate for survival as Lara, blurring the line
between acceptable standards of behavior in a hostile environment
that demands a persons vary soul in exchange for the slightest
promise of life on safer shores.</p>
<p align="LEFT">&nbsp;</p>
<p align="LEFT">The various set piece stages
throughout the island on which Lara&#39;s adventure takes place are
tightly designed with countless nooks and crannies where hidden
treasures can be found. Players can spend hours guiding Lara towards
the discovery of ancient relics and journal documents left behind by
inhabitants of the island since ancient times all the way up to
modern day. The area of combat is where Tomb Raider&#39;s gameplay shines
brightest with a variety of weapon types to upgrade throughout the
game and tight controls for shooting and maneuvering. Despite the
games emphasis on stealth action, opportunities for stealth are
practically scripted and stealth opportunities are largely limited in
favor of the eventual gun fight. Controls for jumping and climbing
are also responsive and precise, but much of Tomb Raider&#39;s wide open
wall crawling has been downplayed in this one. Lara still gets to put
her jumping and climbing to the test in more scripted Uncharted-esque
action set pieces that are as exciting as they are thrilling and
highly cinematic, and Lara will still use plenty of her trademark
jumping and climbing skills to scourer every inch of the island in
search of long lost treasures.</p>
<p align="LEFT">&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p align="LEFT">At the end of the adventure
Lara is the star who shines the brightest, finally realizing her
potential as video games shining example of admirable feminine
portrayal in interactive entertainment and players will be left
reeling from a thrilling adventure that will be played many more
times for the sake of good old fashioned enjoyment! Tomb Raider is
near top on my list of favorite video game experiences this
generation in a generation of video game adventures that already
rivals the excitement of the most riveting summer blockbusters and
best selling novels with a protagonist to stand alongside some of
literature&#39;s most admirable women.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3632971" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360tomb raider 2013tomb raider: lara croft: square enix: crystal dynamicsLara Rebornhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/07/09/lara-reborn.aspxTue, 09 Jul 2013 15:09:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3194556Andrew Marcos1http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3194556http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/07/09/lara-reborn.aspx#comments<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://tombraiders.net/stella/images/timeline/tomb_raider_2013_box.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lara Croft is possibly the most well-known female videogame
protagonist in the world, having appeared onto the action-adventure scene a
full decade before Nathan Drake. With appearances in multiple games across
various platforms, her characterization and the quality of the games has always
been a bit erratic and of varying quality, but here developer Crystal Dynamics looks to reboot
her, showing us Lady Lara before she had the confidence and grace she&rsquo;s known
for.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The set up isn&rsquo;t entirely unfamiliar or original,
particularly for fans of the Far Cry and Uncharted games. During an expedition,
Lara ends up stranded on an island full of psychopathic killers with mysterious
motives out to get her and her friends, and thus must try to escape while
uncovering the dark secrets the island holds. The plot isn&rsquo;t particularly
compelling, with forgettable characters and a story that feels more like an
excuse to have Lara moving into different parts of the island and into more
exciting set pieces, but it sets the tone well, just don&rsquo;t expect her character
arc to reel you in. It suffers a bit from a plodding pace, but mostly because
the story and characters simply fall to the wayside with gameplay as the
primary focus. Even with the story being mostly forgettable, the island does
have its share of notes, audio logs and treasures that all tell small stories
of their own, and are worth listening to so you can get a sense of what is
happening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://pxlbyte.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tomb-raider-2013-wallpaper.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tomb Raider fans are used to platforming and exploration,
and while there&rsquo;s plenty of that here, Lara is also considerably more blood
thirsty this time around. Enemies will prioritize her death over their own
safety and attack in droves, forcing Lara into using the various weapons and
abilities at her disposal to survive. Here the gameplay excels, with a natural
progression of skill, gear and abilities that allow Lara more opportunities in
combat, as well as more options for travel and exploration. The cover based
shooting isn&rsquo;t perfect, but the additional focus on moving around and using
your wits allows the combat to feel more exciting, particularly when Lara can
die so easily and the various enemy types are quick to mobilize an attack. The
use of regenerating health seems to betray the sense of survival the game wants
to instill, and causes a dissonance between gameplay and narrative that can be
hard to ignore when Lara survive multiple bullet wounds in gameplay, but bears
giant scars from earlier encounters. With the ability to hunt animals and rest
in campfires, the game almost feels like it was supposed to have a survival
gameplay focus early on that got switched to a more action centric approach,
especially when stealth is only a tease that almost always turns into a full blown
gunfight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lara Croft certainly gets beaten up quite a bit in this
game, from the very outset she suffers terrible injuries around every corner,
only to be given the hardest tasks from her friends. The game even goes the
extra length in giving Dead Space styled death animations should you die at
certain points, some of which are rather cringe worthy, but even with all this
effort in making Lara seem vulnerable she&rsquo;s still very much powerhouse in
combat. Of course combat is only one aspect of the gameplay, with exploration,
platforming and the usual tomb raiding taking up a major part of the experience
as well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The island is full of optional tombs and locations to
explore that can yield additional experience points and crafting materials. Some
of the collectable side missions aren&rsquo;t very interesting, but the actual tombs
you can explore break up the combat and let you try to solve a puzzle for
access to a large reward. The puzzles are usually simple, but have that &ldquo;aha&rdquo;
feeling that you get once you figure out how the pieces fit together. Weapon
crafting and skill improvement are also a major factor, as Lara changes so too
does her array of abilities. Different weapons, weapon attachments, player
abilities and items such as a rope arrow give reason to go back to earlier
areas you couldn&rsquo;t completely explore, for the purpose of improving said gear.
It allows for a nice cycle of improvement and exploration that feed into each
other.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Multiplayer also makes an appearance here, and fans of the
Uncharted series might find some familiar ground to play with. Unfortunately, unlike
the surprisingly successful multiplayer of the Uncharted games, the multiplayer
here has some unfortunate lag issues and lacks interesting map design or game
modes to make it a primary mode of interest. It isn&rsquo;t terrible, it ticks the
boxes for basic multiplayer features allowing you to rank up and play different
modes on different maps, but it&rsquo;s uninspired, and the game&rsquo;s lengthy campaign
is well worth the price of admission alone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Tomb Raider is a fitting new start for the series.
The storyline doesn&rsquo;t have the sort of importance you might expect from a
reimagining of a popular series, but it gives older Tomb Raider fans a look at
a younger Lara while providing a good entry point for newcomers. Like a good
summer blockbuster, Tomb Raider might not be something you dwell on for weeks
after because of innovative gameplay or a mind blowing storyline, but it&rsquo;s an
expertly polished game that should be worth the time of any action-adventure
fan. Much like how Christopher Nolan reimagined Batman for the movie theaters,
Tomb Raider is rebooted here for a new generation, hopefully with an equally
strong future of successful installments ahead.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3194556" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360xbox 360 gamePlayStation 3Tomb Raiderps3Lara Croftrebootcrystal dynamicsunchartedtomb Raider review game fun emotion emotional2013PCSquare EnixsonyMeagan MarieA Pleasent Surprise. Raising the bar for the genre.http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/07/07/a-pleasent-surprise-raising-the-bar-for-the-genre.aspxMon, 08 Jul 2013 00:54:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3179114kristopherw0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3179114http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/07/07/a-pleasent-surprise-raising-the-bar-for-the-genre.aspx#comments<p>I was <i>never </i>a hardcore tomb raider fan. </p>
<p>i had played the first 2 games occasionally, but at the time, they were not at all my cup of tea; most of the games that only kept my attention at the time were more of the plethora of hardcore first-person shooter games genre that exploded in the gaming industry at the turn of the last decade, &nbsp;this being call of duty (when the franchise was actually relevant) and battlefield:bad company<br /><br />The wildly successful Uncharted franchise was enough to re-introduce me to the 3rd-person adventure/puzzle genre. the first game was great for what it was at the time, but it&#39;s the 2nd and latest 3rd installment to the franchise that really got me hooked. Uncharted 2 &quot;Among Thieves&quot;, i can confidently say, is one of my most favorite games on the PS3 console. though i have completed it several times ever since i first played it, it is one of the maybe 6 or 7 select games that i always will intend to keep for as long as my busy lifestyle will allow when i fall on my gaming hobby.<br /><br />when i first heard that where was going to be a new Tomb Raider game, i was highly skeptical. i had so many questions and challenged the need of a game, supporting the mantle that the Uncharted franchise clearly owned. i wasnt sure if this was going to be a revamp of the already existing franchise, or if this was going to be an entirely new vision of Lara altogether. eventually, as i thought about it more, i concluded that it couldnt possibly shake the overwhelming success of the Uncharted franchise, and i thought it was easy to shake it off as being a failure; a clone, riding on the coat tails of nathan drake and the success Naughty Dog has had with the Uncharted franchise.<br /><br />as i read initial reviews of critical acclaim from sites such as Metacritic, i knew that this initial judgement could not be any more further from the truth. after reading over dozens of reviews of the course of one afternoon, i knew that this Tomb Raider game had to atl east be given a fair shot. i was really in need of a new and fresh game in which to absorb my attention. the only games i was playing in recent months was Battlefield 2 online and going back to my 3rd play through of Max Payne 3, and though at the time i was on the fence of ordering either Dishonored or Resident Evil 6 for months, i bit the bullet &nbsp;right then and ordered the game from Amazon.<br /><br />i was surprised that the Amazon Exclusive was selling at the price that it was (about $29 cdn) while brick and mortar retail outlets were selling the game for $49. this was no-brainer decision for me. not sure if they still offer this exclusive deal but if they do, jump at the chance to order it! i ordered the game on a friday afternoon, and i recieved it the following tuesday. Amazon&#39;s expedient process of delivery has always shined in my eyes and it continues to stand out as being the ideal place for all of my bluray and ps3 game orders.<br /><br />over the course of roughly 2 weeks since i first recieved the game, i beat the game in about 3 or 4 days, with a final completion score of 82%. i would play the game for a couple of hours at a time, and always looked forward to coming back to it and picking up where i left off. the game is in fact an origin story. that is, provides an interesting idea of how lara croft became the strong survivalist character we identify with her as a being a gaming pop culture icon we know of her today. The game is developed by Crystal Dynamics. to my knowledge, they havent done anything previously that has really stood out in the gaming industry (though if anyone wishes to suggest a game of theirs i should check out, please do). they have done a truly great job with the game. the overall visual design of the game is absolutely beautiful and the play mechanics of controlling Lara are smooth, clean and precise.. the sound design captures the immersive environment incredibly well varying from a thick jungle to a sprawling mountain town with accompanying various changes of realistic weather as you progress through the game. the combat, which drives about 75% of the gameplay, borrows subtle incredients from the recent Resident Evil games we&#39;ve seen in recent years ( 5 and 6, respectfully) and is fluid, engaging, and thanks to the rich various different environments, i never found dull.<br /><br />if you appreciate the more technical aspects of current gen games, the game has a lot of great visual effects that add to the overall experience which one would really appreciate, not to also mention things like realistic destructible cover during the intense shoot out scenes and its environments, ragdoll physics mechanics with the bodies of enemies as they hurl through the air during explosions and the like. overall, these elements done so amazingly well help to drive a fun game play experience.<br /><br />the game has a compelling storyline with a few subtle plot twists, and it is easy to identify with lara as a protagonist. this game is rated &#39;M&#39; for mature and for good reason. Lara gets bloodied, beaten up and has the odds against her in an extreme capacity that would make even the most hardened gamer or even horror movie fan of gore cringe occasionally. the overall visual aesthetic of her journey through the game is gritty yet beautiful all at the same time.</p>
<p>the game is of course an adventure/shooter game with lots of shoot-out set pieces. it offers lots of use of weapons for lara to find and learn to use - anything from a pick axe,a pistol, machine guns and even (my favourite) the awesome bow and arrow. this game offers a warm welcome to such a primitive weapon. it&#39;s fun to use and being able to pull off headshots is just incredibly satisfying. all of these weapons can be upgraded and refined over time, which constantly brings a new experience to fighting lara&#39;s nearly unlimited amount of opposition she faces.</p>
<p><br />one of the great things about the game is that offers tons of replayability. through the offering of &#39;campsites&#39;, the game allows you to return to previous places you couldnt originally access uppon your first place through, thanks to new gear you find and upgrade later in the game. by allowing lara to use newly collected climbing gear to access these new areas in the various environments, offers new treasures to be found, which subsequently rewards lara with xp and other goodies. extending on this, is the upgrade and experience system which is fantastic, and offers even more replay value. lara is able to upgrade her weapons as well as her skills <b>(survivor/brawler/explorer)</b>, and by doing so, lara is rewarded a boost of XP (experience points) during fights, and through other various interactive activities as she progresses through the game.<br /><br />one thing i of course must mention is the puzzle solving aspect to the game. the puzzles arent as heavily placed in prior games. in fact, they are entirely optional to pursue. you can get by without engaging in any of them - which are found in tombs placed all throughout the game, but ignoring them completely even on a second playthrough would be questioned. &nbsp;the result of taking the time to solve these puzzles, as tedious as i found them to be, rewards Lara <b>very </b>generously with treasure and bonus XP - and that is always a great thing! on a personal note though, i felt that they often slowed down the pace of the game and as i came across these tombs, i really debated with myself if i really wanted to do any of them at all.<br /><br />as said earlier, the story line is engaging and rarely has a dull moment. the action never lets up but gives a nice break at the right times that offers a nice balance of cutscenes to develop the story, or a chance for lara to freely look around the environment and discover places at her own leasure. and again it is a great game that offers the player tons of replay value to return back to previous locales to look for any outstanding areas she couldnt get to previously - with this concept offered, it can sometimes seem like a refreshing way to go through the game a second time. </p>
<p>i cant see this as game that too many people will be returning, trading or selling in the long term. i recommend this to anyone who likes the puzzle/adventure games but also enjoys the intense action of 3rd person shooter. This Tomb Raider game has in some ways set the bar for future games of its kind to model after.</p>
<p><br />i would happily rate this as one of the top 10 games for 2013. don&#39;t miss out on it !</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3179114" width="1" height="1">User ReviewPlayStation 3Lara Croftcrystal dynamicssonytombraiderBest Tomb Raider game...ever....http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/23/best-tomb-raider-game-ever.aspxSun, 23 Jun 2013 22:01:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3048124John0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3048124http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/23/best-tomb-raider-game-ever.aspx#comments<p>Once in a time long, long ago in a place far, far away....(ok so it wasn&#39;t that far from where I live now) I remember playing the original Tomb Raider, in all its &quot;glory.&quot; Clunky controls, Irritating puzzles, and repeatedly falling to my death because &quot;someone&quot; didn&#39;t wanna grab that damn ledge... Over the years, there have been a many releases featuring Lara Croft at the helm, and for me personally they had always seemed very overrated, or just plain average at best. </p>
<p>Crystal Dynamics has done nothing short of a miracle in restoring credibility, playability, and a want for more from the Tomb Raider name. Graphics check, very detailed environments, character models and movement, lighting all it. Beautiful stuff. &nbsp;Nearly everything in the single player campaign was executed flawlessly. &nbsp;Combat, was fluid, gun play was smooth, exploration was a blast, and the puzzles and challenges provided a nice balance of being thought intensive yet fun. Pack all that in with a nice customization system and you have quite a package.</p>
<p>A wonderful story, that with a younger more innocent Lara Croft, I found myself feeling actually rooting for at times. I was drawn in right from the start, and stayed glued to my t.v. right to the end. This girl takes a BEATING in this game and just keeps on plugging away, &nbsp;always pushing onward. This isn&#39;t your old Tomb Raider game in terms of action either, its gritty, gory and Crystal Dynamics did a pretty good job at putting the violence into the game without glorifying it. You are not running around killing people just because its fun, and looks cool (as much as it was fun and did look cool). Each position you are put into is a matter of survival, sacrifice etc. &nbsp;There is a great message to be found here about facing adversity, one I think many people can relate to as well; while the some of the action scenes are borderline over the top, the story is not; minus a few things I won&#39;t mention for spoiler reasons, and they don&#39;t take away from the experience at all.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The mulitplayer is OK but thats about it. Could have been left out imo, and no one would have noticed. Its not horrible, but if there is another game (I hope there is!) this would be an area to improve on, I will leave that at that.</p>
<p>All in all not only is this the best best Tomb Raider game I have ever played, it one of the best action games I have ever played. Not a whole lot to NOT like in this one.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3048124" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360Tomb RaiderLara Croftcrystal dynamicsReally impressive gamehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/19/really-impressive-game.aspxThu, 20 Jun 2013 04:29:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:3030446angelrodz110http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=3030446http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/19/really-impressive-game.aspx#comments<p>This is my first game of Tomb Raider and I have to say I&#39;m very impressed by the graphics and smooth gameplay. Everything works as it should and I am very pleased in the direction this series is heading to.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3030446" width="1" height="1">Tomb Raider - Welcome Back, Larahttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/27/tomb-raider-welcome-back-lara.aspxTue, 28 May 2013 01:14:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2904492dimension_110http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2904492http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/27/tomb-raider-welcome-back-lara.aspx#comments<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="353" width="565" src="http://watchusplaygames.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/tomb-raider-2013-wallpaper.jpg" alt="Tomb Raider Title" title="Tomb Raider Title" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Lara Croft may be one of&nbsp;gaming&#39;s most influential female protagonists, but even her dual pistols and snappy dialogue weren&#39;t enough to save her from the impeding staleness the series has experienced in recent titles. Yes, it&#39;s time for a reboot.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Reboots are sort of a wild card in the gaming industry - they&#39;re either a blessing or a curse. Developer Crystal Dynamics hopes to bless this waning franchise by returning Lara to her roots. She is now a young, inexperienced archeologist looking to make her mark on the world. Of course, restarting a series anew isn&#39;t a painless matter, and throughout <i>Tomb Raider </i>you&#39;ll be forced to watch Lara get stabbed, shot, mauled, and broken (if things are going well). The game sets a focus on realism, crafts a solid genesis for Lara Croft, and provides an excellent launch for the rebirth of a legend. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://frikarte.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tomb_Raider_2013-frikarte.jpg" alt="Scenery" title="Island Scenery" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Lara Croft starts aboard a research ship called the Endurance with a documentary film crew searching for the lost Kingdom of Yamati. Their journey meets an abrupt and unfortunate end when a storm tears the ship apart and leaves the surviving crew shipwrecked on a mysterious island. Lara and her crew are left to survive in a harsh climate filled with deranged cultists and a seemingly inexplicable weather system. It is in her journey to find way off the island and discover its dark secrets, Lara transforms into the intelligent, headstrong, and capable Lara Croft we all know. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">In the beginning, you&#39;ll quickly realize that this isn&#39;t going to be a walk in the park - Lara is already badly injured and near death when you first meet her. The first hour or so is solely dedicated to Lara&#39;s character development. She will frantically escape a cult&#39;s deranged hideout, search for her crew, avoid enemy detection, and begin to survive on her own. These few early scenes highlight Lara&#39;s inexperience and vulnerability and effectively establish an emotional connection for the player - it&#39;s hard not to feel sorry for Lara when she&#39;s shivering next to a makeshift fire and her entire world is falling apart around her. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">In fact, <i>Tomb Raider </i>is at its best when it focuses on realism in scenes such as this. Lara is unwillingly thrust into a brutally realistic world where everything wants to kill her. You&#39;ll be forced to adapt quickly, and failure do so will result in Lara getting crushed, impaled, and mutilated in devastating ways. Throughout the game, you will be desperate to keep Lara alive because she is excellently portrayed by smart writing and emotional voice acting, and you&#39;ll never want to watch her meet a dark and lonely end. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://www.s2pmag.ch/wordpress/wp-content/gallery/jv-tomb-raider-2013/tomb-raider-2013-08.jpg" alt="Island Shore" title="Island Shore" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a></a></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">To elude death, Lara turns from prey to predator - she learns to kill because of necessity, not because she wants to. At first, Lara is uneasy about taking the life of another, but she slowly transforms into a battle hardened survivor willing to do what&#39;s necessary. It&#39;s this transition that also turns <i>Tomb Raider </i>from a survival focused game into an action epic about one-third of the way through the campaign.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><i>Tomb Raider </i>wisely focuses on emotion, narrative, and atmosphere. The game&#39;s island setting is both bleak and beautiful - you&#39;re going to be simultaneously terrified and in awe of it throughout the duration of the game. You&#39;ll visit tropical forests, ancient ruins, sandy beaches, sun-dried deserts, and snowy mountain peaks. All of this manages to blow you away visually without becoming too familiar. In a rare feat, <i>Tomb Raider </i>maintains its mysterious undertones throughout the entire game.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><a><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="317" width="565" src="http://mattbrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tombraider-cave-700x393.jpg" alt="Cave" title="Cave" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR:#fff;" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">This sense of mystery and impending danger radiated by the island is what helps to propel <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>narrative so far. Yes, the plot can feel a little predictable and clich&eacute; at times, but even when it does fall back on action game stereotypes, (such as escaping a burning building, sliding down a waterfall at high speeds, or surviving a collapsing bridge, etc.) <i>Tomb Raider </i>pulls off these events with such stylistic flair that you won&#39;t really mind the fact that you&#39;ve seen that scene a million times before. The narrative does move a little slowly at first - there&#39;s very little plot development in the first third of the game. What really impedes progress is <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>massive overuse of the notorious, button-smashing quick-time events. Whether or not these &quot;Mash Y to not die!&quot; moments have a place in video games is your opinion, but <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>uses them so much it puts <i>Call of Duty&#39;s </i>QTE use to shame. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Fortunately, <i>Tomb Raider </i>moves beyond this in the second half. There are many epic events throughout the game and the plot develops nicely. All of this gets even more interesting as Lara becomes more confident in her abilities and develops into an intelligent leader for her crewmates. The game also transitions into more platform-style locations, and moving about these fluidly brings a lot of enjoyment.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Unfortunately, <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>biggest shortcomings in some areas are a result of its strength in others. &nbsp;For example, Lara is such a strong lead that most of the game&#39;s supporting cast can seem a little bit stale at times. It&#39;s just really hard to feel for them as much as you do for Lara. Additionally, the game&#39;s narrative and action sequences can seem to contrast each other too much at times - it&#39;s hard to believe that Lara was okay when she slid down that thousand-foot cliff, but she was violently impaled by that small metal rod when she fell on it. Its points where <i>Tomb Raider </i>tries to mix water and oil, or realism and over-the-top action sequences, when the narrative feels the most flawed. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://www.gameslife.gr/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/tomb-raider-caves-and-cliffs.jpg" alt="Lara and Roth" title="Lara and Roth" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">The gameplay is one of <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>strongest points. Though it&#39;s a while before you first pick up a gun, the combat system opens up and turns into one of the most memorable parts of the game. Lara acquires a bow and a pistol early on. The bow acts as the bread and butter of Lara&#39;s combat arsenal - it allows for long range shots and rapid fire for close range encounters. Eventually, Lara picks up a shotgun and assault rifle, both of which help to supplement the combat system. What&#39;s nice is that all of these weapons fill their own little niche, and you will need to switch around to survive.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;All of Lara&#39;s weapons can be upgraded as the game progresses to include flaming arrows, incendiary ammo, silencers, or many other various attachments and modifications. What&#39;s cool is that these new enhancements will change the way you approach combat or handle different situations. You can use your new incendiary bolts to light that pool of oil your enemies are standing in, or use your new grenade launcher attachment to take out enemy machine gunners.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://anigame.mx/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tomb-raider-2013-5.jpg" alt="Combat" title="Combat" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Unfortunately, <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>perk progression system is not quite as game changing. These perks, which can be unlocked frequently throughout the game, don&#39;t really work, and they only add most of them only provide minor active and passive abilities that you won&#39;t really use throughout the game. The exception to this is the perk that allows Lara to use a dodge mechanic to escape melee attacks and perks that increase ammo capacity. I wouldn&#39;t expect a very deep character progression system going into <i>Tomb Raider.</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">However, <i>Tomb Raider </i>makes up for this shortcoming with its variety in combat. Enemies can easily be faced directly, but a large amount of fun comes from the stealth gameplay. Lara can perform stealth takedowns to silence enemies or use her archery expertise to eliminate enemies silently from a distance. The cover system is easy to use and fluid, and this only helps to enhance the stealth gameplay into <i>Tomb Raider&#39;s </i>greatest combat feature.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://sarahtherebel.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/tomb-raider-2013-screen-11.jpg" alt="Explore" title="Explore" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">For all of the completionists out there, <i>Tomb Raider </i>has a lot of various artifacts, collectables, and hidden notes scattered across the island. Many of them are extremely well hidden and will require a good amount of time and exploration to track down. The various artifacts and notes provide insight to the island&#39;s mysteries, and it&#39;s quite fun to see Lara get wide-eyed over a five-hundred year old Japanese vase. However, the best of these side tasks is exploring the hidden tombs scattered throughout the island. These tombs offer more traditional puzzles that can be solved to earn rewards. They are easily one of my favorite parts of <i>Tomb Raider, </i>but given the series&#39; legacy with tombs, I feel like they were underutilized.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><i>Tomb Raider </i>is the perfect example of why developers shouldn&#39;t add a multiplayer to every game in sight. To put it simply, the multiplayer is terrible. I would just avoid it. The game&#39;s combat system works brilliantly in single-player campaign but it feels too frantic and unstable to work well in multiplayer. The maps try to blend platforming and combat, but this doesn&#39;t work too well in multiplayer and it just leaves you open to attack. <i>Tomb Raider </i>does feature an interesting progression and character customization system, but there&#39;s nothing really unique or amazing here. If you&#39;re looking for a good multiplayer, your time is better spent with more dedicated multiplayer experiences.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN:center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="318" width="565" src="http://metalarcade.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Tomb-Raider-Multiplayer-Screen-2.jpg" alt="Stealth" title="Stealth" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Despite the lackluster multiplayer and a few missteps in the campaign, <i>Tomb Raider </i>pulls off an impressive feat - It creates a new vision for one of gaming&#39;s most iconic series with a new focus on narrative and likeable characters. With a compelling story and setting, <i>Tomb Raider </i>has sparked new life into Lara Croft and given the series a promising outlook for the future. Even if you haven&#39;t played any previous titles of the series, you should definitely take a look at this game. Crystal Dynamics has delivered a simple message - <i>Tomb Raider </i>is back, and once again Lara Croft is gaming&#39;s greatest action hero. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<strong><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;">Tomb Raider - 9.25/10</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></strong>
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<span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino;"><span style="font-size:small;"><img height="353" width="565" src="http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/tomb_raider_2013_game-wide.jpg" alt="Lara Croft" title="Lara Croft" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2904492" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360Tomb RaiderLara Croftrebootcrystal dynamicsPCTomb Raider - Video Reviewhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/19/tomb-raider-video-review.aspxMon, 20 May 2013 03:32:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2869161Craigaleg1http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2869161http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/19/tomb-raider-video-review.aspx#comments<p><span style="font-size:x-large;"><b><img style="float:left;" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x400/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/7875.TombRaider2013.jpg" height="249" width="178" border="0" alt="" />&nbsp; Score: 9.0 / 10</b></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><b>&nbsp; Tomb Raider</b></span></p>
<p><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PC - Xbox 360 - PS3</i></p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Developer:</span> Crystal Dynamics</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Publisher:</span> Square Enix</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Release Date:</span> March 5th, 2013</p>
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<p>(Please visit the site to view this media)</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">
Pros:</p>
<ul>
<li>Beautifully detailed environments and landscapes</li>
<li>Continual action that keeps you guessing</li>
<li>Dynamic camera adds excitement to the exploration</li>
<li>Simple, satisfying cover shooting
</li>
</ul>
<p>
Cons:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hidden tombs are short and too easy to solve</li>
<li>Button prompts for QTEs take time to adapt to</li>
<li>Skill tree loses potential to customize Lara to a preferred play style</li>
</ul>
<p>
Lara Croft has always been the seasoned adventurer that looks danger in the face with two pistols at the ready. She was always confident, headstrong, and fearless; but in the latest reboot from Crystal Dynamics, this prequel shows a younger, less adept Lara. The unsteady hand when she first raises a weapon, the heavy breathing as she sneaks past guards, and the utter fear in her eyes as she narrowly escapes danger time and time again show a more human side to the classic hero we all know. Through it all, the game never paints her as a damsel in distress, but rather showcases the building of one of gaming&#39;s most iconic heroines.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x400/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/4213.overlook.png" height="220" width="421" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:x-small;">One of these boats is bound to have a Band-Aid</span></p>
<p>
Lara&#39;s struggle to survive the island is nothing easy, and there are subtleties to the game that really add the appropriate tension. Lara grabbing her side in pain and bracing against the wall as a player moves close to it, quieting herself when guards approach whilst cuing the player that an opportunity for stealth is ahead, or the sporadic breathing when moving carefully across a rusted ledge all bring that extra sense of peril. It is this attention to detail that not only makes Lara more sympathetic, but amplifies the overall thrilling atmosphere.<br />
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This attention to detail is not only applied to the mood, but assists in crafting a visual marvel. There is more than one instance where the game will let you look out over a cliff to your destination, and oftentimes I would forget that I could control my character with the misinterpretation that I was in a cut scene. Textures are finely detailed, and the lighting&#39;s play with shadows brings memorable moments in cave exploration where your only source of vision is the torch at your side. It is the blockbuster set pieces that bring everything together. Climbing a burning skyscraper while being fired upon by the enemy as debris and bullets fly past your head, all while backed by a fully original and very fitting soundtrack is a common occurrence that gets your heart pumping and keeps you on the edge of your seat.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x400/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/3073.set-piece.png" height="214" width="393" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:x-small;">How did they find a helicopter?</span></p>
<p>The campaign is an evolving adventure that plays on the unexpected. Alternating between cover shooting gunplay, scripted set pieces, and seamless platforming you never know what could be around the corner. A firefight could erupt and before you can finish everyone off, you find the platform you are on will shake and tip sideways turning into a timed platforming climb. There are consecutive upgrades and new enemy types also thrown your way, which keeps you trying new tactics and new gear in both terrain traversal and shootouts. The minor inconveniences of the campaign were the quick time events, in which the timing and display take a few attempts to adapt to. The unfortunate result of failing these is a surprisingly gruesome death sequence. I found myself striving to never miss a QTE due to this facet, as watching Lara thrash and and convulse is like transitioning from an action movie to a horror film.</p>
<p>
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The collector at heart will find that despite a linear path, Tomb Raider does not feel like a closed off string of rooms. Exploration of each area reveals plenty of collectibles, optional challenges, and even hidden tombs; assisted by the helpful &quot;hunter vision&quot; that highlights enemies in addition to objects of interest. These tombs offer a challenge room usually involving a physics puzzle to progress. Sadly these puzzles are fairly straight forward with only a few that actually take time to solve, and for being labeled a tomb they are awfully small. Regardless of your optional task, you are rewarded with scrap metal that can be used to upgrade weapons and unlock new secondary firing modes for most weapons. There is also a leveling system to specialize in certain skill trees, but you tend to fill out all three branches by the close of the game, missing an opportunity for the game to offer players a chance to outfit Lara to their preferred method of approach.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x400/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-06-78/4075.Multiplayer.png" height="224" width="407" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:x-small;">I am channeling my inner Katniss</span></p>
<p>
A competitive multiplayer is also available, featuring the expected four survivors vs four scavangers matchup. These includes deathmatch, king of the hill, and capture the flag inspired game modes. The interesting twist in each map is the ability to rig traps for your enemies, involving various rigs that can crush your opponents or set them on fire. Slight differences between the factions like the Scavengers ability to zip up rope lines will matter little as you swap after each round; giving even time with both allegiances. The mode comes complete with unlockable characters, weapon modifications, and player loadouts. It can be fun to play around with, but feels very cookie cutter to what you have seen before.<br />
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Crystal Dynamics took a risk in going back to the beginning, but it was a risk that paid off. Tomb Raider looks and feels like the adventure game its daring heroine deserves. I found myself asking what they could do to a top a particular sequence, only to turn the corner and find one just as thrilling. Lara&#39;s new voice and look is a perfect fit for this reboot, and the attention to detail in both gameplay and look give an incredible, seamless display. Daring shootouts, frantic scrambles across collapsing structures, and relentless foes push Lara in every chapter, and you find that as her resolve strengthens, so does your determination to see her through to the end.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2869161" width="1" height="1">Tomb Raider's Back, and She's Better Than Everhttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/19/tomb-raider-39-s-back-and-she-39-s-better-than-ever.aspxSun, 19 May 2013 21:12:00 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2868503MSF codforlife0http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2868503http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/19/tomb-raider-39-s-back-and-she-39-s-better-than-ever.aspx#comments<p>Tomb Raider has been rebooted, and the series has never been better. This is the best Tomb Raider game ever made, and Crystal Dynamics has proven that they know Tomb Raider.</p>
<p>The story is pretty good, and really is the poster girl for an origin story. It really shows where Lara came from and is very interesting, although after your first kill, fighting people all the time feels sort of forced, but I didn&#39;t mind as much because I&#39;m a huge COD player. The graphics look amazing. It almost reminds me of the graphics of Dead Space, because they look alike, which isn&#39;t a bad thing, because Dead Space looks amazing too. The controls are great. They will come natural to anybody who&#39;s played Gears Of War. The guns and other equipment are interesting in the fact that they change as you upgrade them. At first, I had a crappy bow made of twigs. By the end, I had a competition bow that could do all these really cool things, like flaming arrows and rope arrows. The equipment is used throughout the game, which many games with many puzzles can&#39;t say. The rope arrow was early on, but it was still tied into puzzles throughout the whole game. Combat can get pretty wild, with at least 5 natives charging you at a time, though you never feel outnumbered, because Lara Croft can beat 10 baddies easily, showing how well the game controls. The ending went a lot different than I imagined. I won&#39;t say anything, but the happy ending thing is usually played out too much, except for in this game, where it makes sense.</p>
<p>There is a multiplayer component, and while it works like it&#39;s supposed to and can be quite fun from time to time, it doesn&#39;t compare to COD or Gears Of War. It isn&#39;t broken, but I don&#39;t see anybody being on it by this point, so good luck testing it out for yourself.</p>
<p>This is a great game, and proves that women are just as relevant as men in the gaming world. This is easily reccomended to puzzle lovers, shooter fans, or those looking to jump into the Tomb Raider world for the first time, because the story is definitely gonna be different than the originals.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2868503" width="1" height="1">User ReviewXbox 360Good, but not memorablehttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/17/good-but-not-memorable.aspxSat, 18 May 2013 04:40:48 GMT79ef0c18-1c65-4225-984f-fdaeab0f0862:2862571Lelita29920http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/rsscomments.aspx?WeblogPostID=2862571http://www.gameinformer.com/games/tomb_raider/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/17/good-but-not-memorable.aspx#comments<p>Beat Tomb Raider, and it was good. Though I honestly don&#39;t remember most of the game.</p><p>The characters weren&#39;t noteworthy enough for me to care about, they just seemed background noise. After playing the Uncharted series and those games being so amazing, I wasn&#39;t as blown away as perhaps I should&#39;ve been by TR. The tombs weren&#39;t engaging enough, just a bunch of timing &quot;puzzles&quot;. Instead of actual puzzle solving. It felt like the developers were holding back because they were afraid to make the tombs too challenging for newcomers. Introducing hunting in the game was a no brainer for someone trapped on an island with no readily food sources, but then never having to do it again after the tutorial (I&#39;m looking at you AC3 also) was disappointing. I had hoped that Lara would&#39;ve had to survive on the island i.e.; food, water, rest, first aid, etc. that we would&#39;ve had to participate in otherwise her health or stamina or aiming or something suffered. Too many cut scenes where I would&#39;ve enjoyed more interaction with; climbing the radio tower, dodging the Oni on the bridge, outrunning a crashing plane, etc. to feel more involved in the story and characters. Her impersonation of Frodo with the whole &quot;SAM!&quot; over and over again started to irritate me. We get it, you&#39;re worried about your friend because it&#39;s your fault we&#39;re in this situation in the first place, except for that fact that Sam is an idiot who trusts far too easily. Locked camera sections felt like I was taken away from the overall experience of the beauty and deadliness of the island. So many times I wanted to look around me as I walked along rope ladders, beams or in tunnels but being unable to do so. Lara&#39;s story arch seemed underdeveloped, she has one freak out over her first kill, but then has no problem turning into a one woman killing machine. I would&#39;ve appreciated the entire game having moments of her reflecting or reacting to all the death and chaos she is dealing out, but the developers seemed to scared to explore what someone goes through having to kill and endure psychologically.&nbsp;Which leads to the story being&nbsp;pretty easy to figure out, there were no surprise&nbsp;twists or turns, I felt&nbsp;Lara was being pretty dense&nbsp;in not figuring it&nbsp;all out sooner. Finally, the ending was lack luster, they built it up to Lara perhaps having to do a truly character changing decision, &quot;Hoshi faced a terrible choice. I feel as though I am following her path. But what choices will I be forced to make?&quot;, not a damn thing you had to do that made any sense to the buildup that&#39;s what. This could&#39;ve resulted in any outcome but I feel the developers coped out, and I found it unsatisfactory (but that could be due to the fact that I had just beaten&nbsp;Bioshock Infinite just before it and that game blew my mind).</p><p>I&nbsp;know I sound like&nbsp;I&#39;m ripping on TR but in all honesty I did enjoy it.&nbsp;The mods you could make to your weapons were cool, seriously taping a rocket launcher onto a shot gun? That&#39;s awesome. The combat was hectic and close knit, but that made it intense and real about surviving cannibalistic cult followers with the aiming being pretty damn spot on. Seeing a vulnerable, dirty, bloody, hurt character was a nice change of pace from the usual untouchable, unstoppable cold characters we&#39;re accustomed to. Glad to see that a female is leading the charge here ( I know ME series&nbsp;allowed you to play femshep but the intention of the game still felt that it was designed with a maleshep). Seeing Lara getting the job done, being a passionate, willful, smart and strong woman was a breath of fresh air from a male dominated industry.&nbsp;Seeing her struggle, to push past the pain and fear to ensure her survival to the point of unbelievable, but believing that whatever it takes the human body and mind to push past those insecurities and life and death situations to become a survivor.&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2862571" width="1" height="1">